Sydney Airport to Wollongong by Train: $29.27 Peak, $26.07 Off-Peak, Including the $18.61 Airport Station Fee (Wollongong, NSW)

An adult travelling by train from Sydney’s International Airport Station to Wollongong pays $29.27 at peak times and $26.07 off-peak, as of 26 October 2026, because a station access fee of $18.61 is added to the train fare at the airport stations. The Trip Planner showed trips taking about 1 hour 23 minutes to 1 hour 54 minutes.

The fee is charged by the Airport Link Company, which privately owns the airport stations, according to Transport for NSW. This guide explains how the fare adds up, how to find the station, how the weekly cap works, and what changes if you tap off and on again. We read the Transport for NSW pages and the Trip Planner on Monday 26 October 2026.

How is the fare worked out?

The fare has two parts: the normal Opal train fare for the distance, and the airport station access fee. Transport for NSW’s page on getting to and from Sydney Airport says a station access fee is charged in addition to the train fare when you use the Sydney Domestic Airport or Sydney International Airport stations. It is automatically deducted from your Opal card or contactless payment.

Part of the fare	Peak (before 10am, Monday to Thursday)	Off-peak
Adult train fare, 65km and over	$10.66	$7.46
Airport station access fee, adult	$18.61	$18.61
Total shown in the Trip Planner	$29.27	$26.07

The train fare is the same 65km-and-over fare we explain in our Sydney to Wollongong train guide. The access fee does not change with the time of day.

How do I find the station at the airport?

The train stations are underneath the airport terminals, and the T8 Airport and South Line runs to and from the Domestic and International airports every day between 5am and midnight, according to Transport for NSW.

• Domestic Station: take the lift or escalator near baggage carousel 1 in both Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
• International Station: from Terminal 1 Arrivals, exit at Exit A, turn right and head to the end. You can also use the lift or escalator near Check-In desk A.

The same station access fee applies at both stations. Travelling between the two airport stations has its own flat fee of $5.20 plus the train fare.

What trips did the Trip Planner show?

These adult trips from International Airport Station to Wollongong Station were listed on Monday morning, 26 October, all leaving from Platform 2. Each combines a T8 train from the airport with a South Coast Line train, and the 8:22am trip also includes a T4 train.

Leaves the airport	Trip time	Arrives Wollongong	Adult fare
8:22am	1h 54min	10:17am	$29.27
9:31am	1h 23min	10:54am	$29.27
10:06am	1h 31min	11:37am	$26.07
10:21am	1h 30min	11:51am	$26.07

The Trip Planner showed the 8:22am trip as running 12 minutes late, and real-time information as unavailable for the others, so treat the times as a guide. The trips are routed via Wolli Creek.

When is the train fare peak?

On Transport for NSW’s peak and off-peak page, peak times are Monday to Thursday, excluding public holidays. The page lists the Intercity morning peak as 6am to 10am and the evening peak as 3pm to 7pm. Your fare is calculated from the time you tap on, and you get a 30% discount on Fridays, weekends, public holidays and outside peak times. In the table above, the 8:22am and 9:31am trips are before 10am and are priced at $29.27, and the 10:06am and 10:21am trips are priced at $26.07.

How do the station access fee and its cap work?

Ticket type	Station access fee	Weekly cap on the fee	Opal single trip ticket
Adult	$18.61	$37.75	$19.00
Child/Youth	$16.64	$33.83	$16.90
Concession and Senior/Pensioner	$16.64	$33.83	Not available

The fee is the same for Opal cards and contactless payments but is higher for Opal single tickets, where it is added at the time of purchase. Transport for NSW says train fares are cheaper with an Opal card or contactless payment. Once you reach the weekly cap for your fare type, you pay no further station access fees for the rest of the week, which runs Monday to Sunday.

The station access fee is not included in your Opal daily or weekly travel cap. The Opal 60-minute transfer does not apply at Sydney Airport stations, so tapping off and on again within an hour counts as two journeys with two station access fees.

How do I pay at the airport?

Adult fares can be paid with a contactless credit or debit card, with no set-up needed, by tapping on and tapping off. Only one card can be used per passenger. Adult and Child/Youth Opal cards are available at the airport stations, with a minimum top-up of $35 if you buy or top up a card there.

Concession and Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal cards cannot be bought at the airport. Transport for NSW says to apply online before you travel and allow 7 to 10 days for the card to be posted, or to link most concession entitlements to a credit or debit card the day before you travel.

What if I am going from the city instead?

Transport for NSW says the access fee is charged when you use the Sydney Domestic Airport or Sydney International Airport stations. Our Sydney to Wollongong train guide covers the Central to Wollongong fare, and our Sydney Airport to the city guide covers the trip into Sydney.

Are there other ways to leave the airport?

Transport for NSW says several bus routes connect Sydney Airport with surrounding suburbs, including Mascot, Rockdale, Bexley North, Campsie and Burwood. Route 420 runs between Burwood and Mascot Station via Campsie and Rockdale, serving both the International and Domestic terminals, and the late-night route N20 runs between Riverwood and the City via the International Terminal between midnight and 4am. The page does not list a bus to Wollongong, and it does not say whether using these buses changes the airport station fee on a later train trip.

There are taxi ranks outside each terminal. Transport for NSW’s page says flat fares for uninterrupted taxi trips from Sydney Airport to the Sydney CBD would be trialled from Monday 3 November 2025, at $60 for a standard taxi. The page does not say whether the trial is still running, and a meter must be used for all other taxi journeys.

What is there to do on arrival in Wollongong?

Wollongong station is on the South Coast Line. The free Gong Shuttle, routes 55A and 55C, runs a loop from Wollongong Station to the University of Wollongong via Wollongong Hospital and Burelli Street, and our Gong Shuttle guide has the hours.

Sources

• Transport for NSW — Getting to and from Sydney Airport (station access fees, caps, finding the station, paying; checked 26 October 2026)
• Transport for NSW — Trip Planner (International Airport Station to Wollongong Station; opened 26 October 2026)
• Transport for NSW — Opal peak and off-peak fares
• Transport for NSW — Adult Opal fares (the 65km-and-over fare)

Featured image: Sydney Airport Terminal 1 (photo: Kgbo / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Transport for NSW, Sydney Trains, the Airport Link Company or Opal. Fares, fees and times can change; check the Trip Planner and the official pages above.